The Baltimore Orioles 2012 Spring Training schedule is out and the team actually has two games on the first day. The Orioles will play split-squad games against the Tampa Bay Rays and Pittsburgh Pirates to kick things off on Monday, March 5. The rest of schedule plays out through March and the first two days of April before the regular season opens on Friday, April 6.

Full 2012 Baltimore Orioles Spring Training Schedule

Monday, March 5

Baltimore Orioles (SS) at Tampa Bay Rays, 1:05 p.m. ET

Pittsburgh Pirates at Baltimore, 7:05 p.m. ET

Tuesday, March 6

Baltimore at Boston Red Sox, 1:35 p.m. ET

Wednesday, March 7

Minnesota Twins at Baltimore, 1:05 p.m. ET

Thursday, March 8

Atlanta Braves at Baltimore, 1:05 p.m. ET

Friday, March 9

Baltimore at Tampa Bay, 1:05 p.m. ET

Saturday, March 10

Baltimore at Philadelphia Phillies, 1:05 p.m. ET

Sunday, March 11

Boston at Baltimore, 1:05 p.m. ET

Monday, March 12

Baltimore at Toronto Blue Jays, 1:05 p.m. ET

Tuesday, March 13

Tampa Bay at Baltimore, 1:05 p.m. ET

Wednesday, March 14

Pittsburgh at Baltimore, 1:05 p.m. ET

Thursday, March 15

Baltimore at Detroit Tigers, 1:05 p.m. ET

Friday, March 16

Baltimore at Minnesota Twins (SS), 1:05 p.m. ET

Saturday, March 17

Boston (SS) at Baltimore (SS), 1:05 p.m. ET

Baltimore (SS) at Boston (SS), 1:35 p.m. ET

Sunday, March 18

Baltimore (SS) at Atlanta Braves, 1:05 p.m. ET

New York Yankees at Baltimore (SS), 7:05 p.m. ET

Tuesday, March 20

Philadelphia at Baltimore, 1:05 p.m. ET

Wednesday, March 21

Toronto Blue Jays at Baltimore, 1:05 p.m. ET

Thursday, March 22

Baltimore at Minnesota, 1:05 p.m. ET

Friday, March 23

Boston at Baltimore, 1:05 p.m. ET

Saturday, March 24

Washington Nationals at Baltimore, 1:05 p.m. ET

Sunday, March 25

Baltimore at Philadelphia (SS), 1:05 p.m. ET

Monday, March 26

Baltimore at Pittsburgh, TBD

Tuesday, March 27

Minnesota at Baltimore, 1:05 p.m. ET

Wednesday, March 28

Baltimore at Toronto, 1:05 p.m. ET

Thursday, March 29

Baltimore at New York Yankees, 7:05 p.m. ET

Friday, March 30

Detroit at Baltimore, 1:05 p.m. ET

Saturday, March 31

Baltimore at Pittsburgh (SS), TBD

Sunday, April 1

Tampa Bay at Baltimore, 1:05 p.m. ET

Source:

Orioles Main Site

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As we all know, hindsight is 20/20. Maybe you shouldn’t have run that red light the other day or maybe you shouldn’t have taken that girl home from the bar after you had one too many. The Baltimore Orioles are also having those same thoughts, as they had these three players at one time. Here are three players you might not have known were Orioles at one time.

Jose Bautista - The Orioles did in fact have Joey Bats at one time. Originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20^th round of the 2000 amateur draft, Baltimore picked him up from Pittsburgh in the 2003 rule 5 draft. Bautista only had 16 at bats in an Oriole uniform, hitting .273 during the 2004 season before Baltimore placed him on waivers and was picked up by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at the time. Bautista toiled around with the Devil Rays, Kansas City Royals, and Pittsburgh Pirates before landing in Toronto with the Blue Jays, where he has made quite a name for himself. Bautista has led the majors in home runs over the past two seasons, hitting 54 in 2010 and 43 in 2011. Bautista would be a nice fit in Baltimore (or anywhere for that matter) because he can play outfield and third base, a position the Orioles need to fill with Mark Reynolds now at first base.

Jayson Werth - Werth was drafted by Baltimore in the first round of the 1997 amateur draft before being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for John Bale. Don’t worry, I never heard of him either. Werth was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers before signing as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies where he had a great four years before getting a bit of a pay increase with the Washington Nationals.

Cliff Lee - When I saw this one, I actually had to step away from my laptop in fear I would throw it across the room in sheer frustration. Baltimore drafted Lee in the 20^th round of the 1998 amateur draft but failed to sign him. Lee was then drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 4^th round of the 2000 draft before being traded to the Cleveland Indians. One Cy Young award later, Lee is now pitching for the Phillies.

Currently, I cover the Orioles for the Baltimore Guide along with being addicted to the entire Major Leagues as well as the NFL. Follow me on Twitter here, or on Facebook here.

REFS:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BAL/2011-transactions.shtml

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© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.

By DAVID GINSBURG
BALTIMORE — Dan Duquette signed a three-year contract Sunday to become the Baltimore Orioles’ president of baseball operations.

A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press of the move on condition of anonymity because the Orioles haven’t announced the hiring.

The 53-year-old Duquette, who interviewed with the Orioles over the weekend, was farm director of the Montreal Expos from 1987-1991 and their general manager from 1991-94. The Dalton, Mass., native then served as general manager of the Boston Red Sox from 1994-2002. He has not worked in a major league front office since leaving the Red Sox.

Duquette takes over for Andy MacPhail, who stepped down last month after four-plus seasons. Duquette will attempt to turn around a franchise saddled with 14 consecutive losing seasons.

Although Duquette has not worked in a major league front office since 2002, he has a history of success. The Expos appeared playoff bound in 1994 until a baseball strike ended the season. In Boston, he laid the groundwork for the team’s world championship in 2004.

He is the cousin of Jim Duquette, who was vice president of baseball operations with the Orioles in 2005 and 2006.

Duquette was the second candidate to be interviewed more than once. The other, Tony LaCava of the Toronto Blue Jays, turned down the Orioles’ offer.

Four others interviewed for the job: Phillies assistant general manager Scott Proefrock. Dodgers assistant GM DeJon Watson, Jerry Dipoto — who ultimately took the same post with the Los Angeles Angels — and Orioles director of player development John Stockstill.

BALTIMORE (AP) — Dan Duquette signed a three-year contract Sunday to become the Baltimore Orioles’ president of baseball operations.

A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press of the move on condition of anonymity because the Orioles haven’t announced the hiring.

The 53-year-old Duquette, who interviewed with the Orioles over the weekend, was farm director of the Montreal Expos from 1987-1991 and their general manager from 1991-94. He then served as general manager of the Boston Red Sox from 1994-2002. He has not worked in a major league front office since leaving the Red Sox.

Duquette takes over for Andy MacPhail, who stepped down last month after four-plus seasons. Duquette will attempt to turn around a franchise saddled with 14 consecutive losing seasons.

Although Duquette has not worked in a major league front office since 2002, he has a history of success. The Expos appeared playoff bound in 1994 until a baseball strike ended the season. In Boston, he laid the groundwork for the team’s world championship in 2004.

He is the cousin of Jim Duquette, who was vice president of baseball operations with the Orioles in 2005 and 2006.

Duquette was the second candidate to be interviewed more than once. The other, Tony LaCava of the Toronto Blue Jays, turned down the Orioles’ offer.

Four others interviewed for the job: Phillies assistant general manager Scott Proefrock. Dodgers assistant GM DeJon Watson, Jerry Dipoto – who ultimately took the same post with the Los Angeles Angels – and Orioles director of player development John Stockstill.